With dominant pitching, No. 18 West Virginia made quick work of Kansas State with a 7-0 shutout victory on Friday night at Wagener Field at Kendrick Family Ballpark.
West Virginia took the lead right off the bat in the first inning with an RBI double from center fielder Paul Schoenfeld. The Mountaineers added another run in the third off of designated hitter Sean Smith’s sacrifice fly, extending the lead, 2-0.
K-State’s game one starting pitcher was Tazwell Butler, who made his first start since April 16, 2025. Butler allowed three earned runs on eight hits over five innings. The right-hander tried to keep the Wildcats within reach early, as he escaped a bases-loaded situation in the fifth with the help of a catch from center fielder Cadyn Karl.
“We had a difficult time building scoring opportunities the entire night,” K-State head coach Pete Hughes said.
The game broke open for the Mountaineers in the seventh. West Virginia scored four runs on three hits, highlighted by second baseman Brodie Kesser, who had a two-run single and a steal in the inning.
The Mountaineers got five shutout innings from right-hander Maxx Yehl, who allowed three hits with eight strikeouts in the win. Reliever Ian Korn followed with four innings and retired six straight at one point to secure his first save of the season.
K-State struggled to generate any offense throughout the game, finishing with four hits and going 0-7 with runners on base. The shutout marked five straight losses for the Wildcats, their longest skid of the season.
“We’re going to have to be better tomorrow on both sides and be a better two-out team for us to get back in the series,” Hughes said. “Tazwell Butler pitched well enough in his first start. Wish we were able to provide some support to his outing.”
Schoenfeld led the Mountaineers with three hits, while Kesser drove in two runs. Ty Smolinski, designated hitter for K-State, had two hits, including a ninth-inning double for the Wildcats’ only extra-base hit.
The series will continue tomorrow as the Wildcats look to bounce back after the shutout loss.
